Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Our Babies

On Tuesday, after I finished teaching my college class, I rushed the kids (human kind) over to the vet's to see the new family members. We will bring our baby girls home Friday. Life has been a whirlwind (that's the positive spin) without Doug here so waiting until the start of the weekend to bring Nimbus and Nova home was one of my better decisions.

Nimbus is a little more skittish than Nova. Nimbus liked to snuggle and does not like being moved from person to person. Both kittens purred like crazy.

Nova was a little more adventurous, moving about on T-man's lap. She didn't mind being taking turns being held and loved on by each of us. She also batted her paw a bit like she wanted to play.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Adding To Our Family

In the last month Doug has been throwing out little hints about wanting to add to our family. I've been ignoring him!! I think our family is more than complete. Shh... Although in the quietest moments of the night I too wonder about just one more little one, then the glaring light of day brings me back to my senses.

Even though my common sense tries to reigns, its hard to resist the whispers of your partner. Thursday, Doug called me at school and asked if I could go to lunch with him. Now that my kindergartners are acclimating quite well, I don't need to go to lunch with them. Our lunchroom helpers and teaching assistants can manage them quite well. So I was able to go off campus to lunch with Doug.

Doug confessed that he had put out feelers about adding the perfect baby to our family. He had gotten a call that a baby was available and did we want to meet her. So after lunch I reluctantly agreed to see this newborn, thinking that this would get "babies" out of Doug's system.

When we arrived at the doctor's office the assistant brought us not just the one "perfect" baby but two babies. When they put the second baby in my arms and she nuzzled against my chest it was all over. Doug got me. How can you resist such a tiny, warm, fuzzy, mewing baby? Then the question is which do you take into your home and heart. Dare we contemplate two babies, essentially twins.

Because babies whether you give birth biologically or adopt, they cost money right up front (Never mind the continual costs.). So we asked for a two for one deal, handed the babies back as I had to return to work. The assistant promised to call us with the doctor's answer. On the way back to work still enjoying the afterglow of sweet babies Doug and I named our two girls.

The doctor called Doug and offered a two for one and a half deal. Doug indicated that sense we had already named them; we would accept that deal. When I got Doug's call the glow had worn off and the what in the world are we doing set in. They'll be poopy and messy for awhile. They'll cry a lot. Will they be afraid of Amber? Will Amber behave with babies? We've never had babies in the house with Amber. What if the these babies don't get along with our biological children. What if they have development difficulties?

With a big leap of faith we share our news with our children to mixed results. We are now the proud family of two adorable kittens!!! The calico kitten was the one Doug was on the lookout for. The vet assistant handed me a white kitten with a touch of gray on the top of her head. We named the white one first, calling her Nimbus for cumulonimbus (storm cloud). Then as we wrestled with just the right named for the calico, Doug suggested Nova. Baby girl number two is Nova, a cataclysmic nuclear explosion caused by the accretion of hydrogen onto the surface of a white dwarf star.

Nova and Nimbus had surgery Friday so that they will be ready to come home soon. They were spayed, declawed, and each received a microchip. They will stay with the vet this week since Doug is out of town and we want someone to keep an eye on them the first few days that they are home. Mimi and I will visit them Tuesday and I'll bring them home Friday. I think I can manage with babies for a few days until Doug gets back. Maybe we can get pictures of Nimbus and Nova Tuesday.